Sardis Joins UNESCO as Turkey's 22nd Cultural Treasure
Published on 7.14.25
Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced that Sardis has been included in the UNESCO family as its 22nd cultural treasure. Located in Turkey, Sardis is considered a significant site due to its historical and cultural value, including being the birthplace of the world's first minted coin and a former capital of the Lydian civilization. The site features 20-meter-thick defensive walls and a vast necropolis area covering 7,500 hectares, and has been recognized for its unique testimony to the Lydian civilization under Criterion 3 since being added to UNESCO's Tentative List in 2013.